Race: San Diego Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon
Runner: Philippe d’Arabian
Race Date: 06/04/2023
Location: San Diego
Results: 1:54
Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/9202049975/overview
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
- Lots of entertainment along the route
- Great energy at the beginning of the race
- Route covers a lot of great neighborhoods
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
- Course was crowded the entire time
- Lanes were too narrow for the amount of people
Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?
We went through a road construction section, which was not great!
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
First time running more than 10 miles since 2019. My time was far from my best, but it was a great confidence booster to just go through the distance.
Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
- No need to arrive super early – access is easy
- Get ready for hills – not crazy steep, but plenty of them, all the way until the last 0.25 mile
Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?
Yes – plenty of fun neighborhoods
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
It was more hills than I had anticipated
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
Yes – well organized with good structure (bathrooms, snacks at the end)
Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.
I signed up 6 days before the run, so no need to rush. I was local and took a Uber to get to the beginning of the course
Weather and typical race conditions
It’s San Diego 😊, and it started at 6.15am… perfect weather in the low 60s, slight overcast, no humidity
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?
Yes – plenty of opportunities for friends to meet on the course
How’s the Swag?
Nice t-shirt and solid/heavy medal
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?
I’ll give it 4/5 stars. It’s a fun race